Annealing box



H. H. GODSELL..

ANNEALING Box. l APPLlCATION FILED SEPT|22|192V Y Patented June 27, 1922;

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HARRY E. GOODSELL', OF VANDERGRIFT, PENNSYLVANIA.

i iiNNnALiNe Box.

Specification ofl Letters Patent. Patented Jun@ 27s 1922 application ledlSeptember 22, 1921.'.` 'Ser-iallio. 502,426.

To all fwwn tmay concem' Be it known that l, HARRY H. GooiisELL,

a citizen of the lanited States, and resident of Vandergrift, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Annealing Boxes, of which fthe followingl is a specification. A

This invention relates to the construction of annealing boxes of the cast'type that are used in box annealing rolled steel sheets and plates and similar materials. 'The inven plates and similar materials, a quantity of the materials is piled on the upper face of the annealing box bottom. The box, which in effect is simply a cover, is then lowered over the pile of materials until its lower edges rest upon the box bottom. The joint between the lower edges of the annealing box and upper face of the annealing box bottom is then sealed from without with a small quantity of finely divided refractory material, such -as sand, fire clay or the like, so as to prevent ingress of the highly heated gases during the heating, or of air during the cooling operation.

The loaded annealing boxes are placed within a suitable annealing furnace and heated therein. After being heated to the necessary temperature for the requisite time interval, the annealing box is removed from the furnacel and allowed to cool, usually until the contents of the box are at such low temperature as will avoid oxidation thereof when exposed to the atmosphere. When sufficiently cooledthe annealing box or cover is removed from the bottom, so as to expose the annealed materials. The materials will then be removed in the usual manner.

As annealing boxes of this class alternately are heated to a high temperature and cooled and the intense long continued heating always being followed by cooling, the an-` nealingboxes gradually warp and bulge or crack and become otherwise distorted.`

Warping or bulging and cracking of the boxes is found most troublesome in' the side walls ofthe annealing boxes, owing `to the greater size or area of the side walls-'in comparison with the size of its ends or top,

andthe open lower side or bottom of the casting forming the box lends to the bulging and distortion at and near the lower edges of the boxes. The result is that the boxes rapidly deteriorate and soon become useless in further annealing operations.

Various waysv have' been suggested and used for strengthening the sidewalls of the annealing boxes, in efforts to increase the life of the boxes and lessen the expense connected with the operation of box annealing. In some cases a series of long vertical ribs or of long horizontal ribs, and in. other cases, a series of long ribs, both vertical and horizontal, have been employed. In other cases a series of long radial ribs, which converge at about the middle of the length and height of the sides of the annealing-boxes, have been used, but in so far as I am aware these various expedients have been only partly successful, and, prior to my invention, no entirely satisfactory means have been known or use for preventing or overcoming warping or bulging, cracking and similar distortions of the annealing boxes.

My invention consists in the provision on the exterior surfaces of the annealing boxes of a series ofintegrally formed ribs or projections, of a size, form, proportions, and relative arrangement, which not only avoids `and overcomes the usual cracking, warping or bulging or other distortion of the annealing boxes in the casting thereof, but in addition thereto also coacts one rib with another to lessen and prevent warping and cracking of the boxes when afterward used in annealing, to the end that the life'of such annealing boxes is greatly extended and the losses due to the production of defective castings, in makig the annealing boxes is largely reduced and the cost of box annealing rolled steel sheets andplates and like materials is very materially lessened.

Referring now to the drawing, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a longitudinal side elevation, partly in section,

.forming my invention.

hooks or lugs2 on the ends thereof by which the box is handled, the size and weight of such boxes ordinarily being so great as to require a crane to manipulate them. The box 1 is also provided with interior reinforcing truss members 3 to prevent downv ward sagging of the arched roof and consequent outward bulging of the side walls.

The annealing box 1 is provided on each of its sides with a multiplicity of'reinforcing ribs or projections which are of relatively short length, the ribs being arranged in a series of horizontal rows. In the lowermost row, formed of the ribs 4, and in the uppermost row, formed of the ribs 5, the ribs extend lvertically lengthwise. 'In the intermediate rows of ribs, the ribs 6 and, 7 extend lengthwise at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the horizantal and it is to be noted that the ribs 6 extend lengthwise at an angle of 90 degrees to the ribs 7. It also will be seen in Figure 1 that the distance between the adjacent ends of any two ribs 6 or two ribs 7 is about the same as the length of these ribs and that the ribs 6 and 7 are in staggered relation.

l Because of. this staggered relation, oneof the ribs 7 extends lengthwise betweenthe adjacent ends of twoof the ribs 6, and one of the ribs 6 extends lengthwise between two of the ribs 7 or else between the end of a rib 6 and a -rib 4 or 5.' This peculiar -relative arrangement of the rib forms a novel and important feature of my invention, as the distance between the ends of the ltwo ribs in a single row is made approximately equal to the length of the ribs. The result obtained by this arrangement is that in the expansion and contraction of the annealing box, which occurs each time 'it is used in an annealing operation, the tendency of any of the ribs, in expanding or contracting lengthwise, to bow or warp the side surface of the annealing box in a directio parallel with the length of such rib is counteract'ed and overcome by the simultaneous sidewise expansion or contraction of therib between the adjacent end'sofan two ribs. By reference to Figurefl it wi be seen that the liointsbetween the ends of the ribs are uniformly broken and that a line drawn in any direction across the side walls of the box must pass through a plurality of these short reinforcing ribs or projections.' j,

Although" the intermediate rows of ribs 6 and 7 are shown arranged in perfect alinement, and spaced apart in rows a distance equal to the length or width, andthe rows of ribs 4 and' are shown lengthwise vertical, it is to be understood that this relative' The advantages of my invention, which will readily be seen by those skilled in the art,

-result in a strong and effective reinforcement of thewalls of the ,annealing boxes against distortion in any direction. Owing to their reduced length, the ribs are easier to cast than the long ribs heretofore employed, as they do not tend to crack and break away from the side walls, either when being cast or when used for annealing, as in the case of continuouslong ribs extending around the annealing box. Furthermore, the short form of ribs is not exposed to the severe stresses that are set up between a continuous band or rib and the wallof the box by unequal expansion and contraction under the conditions of use.

The arrangement, shape, comparative length, and proportions of the reinforcing ribs referred to herein may be varied somewhat, the essential thing being to have Aa plurality of short ribs, disposed in staggered order, with intervening short ribs running across the lines of the first series, so that on any line drawn through the side. of the box a number! of the reinforcing ribs will be cut.

I elaim':

1. An annealing box having a plurality of rows of lengthwise separated. reinforcing ribs on the outer surfaces thereof, said ribs being `,arranged in staggered relation and the ribs in each row extending lengthwise at an jacent row.

2. An annealing box having' a plurality of i rows OfIengthwise separated reinforcingl ribs on the walls thereof, said ribs being arranged in staggered relation, and the ribs 'ofone row extending lengthwise at r1 ht angles tothe length of the ribs in anad;

jacent row. Y

3.. An annealing box having a plurality of rows of lengthwise separated reinforcing ribs on the outer 4surfaces, thereof, said rows of ribs being arranged in lines crossing each otherfwith the ribs of one row. lying within the space between the adjacent ends lof the alined ribs in another of said rows.

4. An annealing box comprising walls having projecting reinforcing ribs thereon, said ribs being arranged in a plurality of rows, and ribs of each row being in lengthwise alinement, with intervenlng spaces, each row of alined ribs extending transversely lengthwise to the length of the alined ribs of another row.

5. An annealing box comprising walls having reinforcing ribs thereon, said ribs being arranged in at least two rows, with the ribs of each row extending lengthwise in parallel lines, and separated in each line by intervening spaces, and with the ribs of one series lying within the spaces between the lengthwise alined ribs of another row.

6. -Ain annealing box formed of cast metal and having reinforcing ribs on the walls thereof, said ribs extending lengthwise in at least two diagonal rows, with the ribs of each diagonal row lying in the same straight line and separated one from another by spaces of approximately the same length as the length of the ribs, the ribs of one diagonal row lying within the space between the ends of alined ribs in another row.

7. An annealing box formed of cast metal and having reinforcing ribs on the walls thereof, said ribs extending lengthwise in at .row and a row of lengthwise vertical ribs at the top and bottom of the walls of the annealing boxes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY H. GOODSELL. 

